Adventures in Magic
Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.
A/N: This chapter is relatively short compared to the others, but it is a sweet one. Again, this chapter leads us into the Mahiya adventures, which will become more complex as time goes on. Just a reference for the future chapters: Don't let things fool you. Things aren't always what they appear, but you all know that by now. 😉
Warning: FLUFF. This chapter is pure FLUFF. I think it may even be fluffier than the LAST fluff warning I gave. :p But you all seem to like fluff, so I'm sure you're going to be fine. Haha.
Note: I want to dedicate this chapter to Mr. Shortman92 and someone very special to him. Thank you for reading my stories, both for yourself and for her, and thank you for your loyalty and dedication to both of us. 😊It means a lot to me, and I know the same can be said for her.
Chapter 13
Shapes and Sizes
Summary: During the next part of their journey, Sofia makes a rather profound revelation about her perception of her friendship with Cedric.
Cedric and Sofia finished their meal with Goodwyn and Winifred before bidding them goodbye for the time being. And, after what seemed to feel like a ten-minute group hug with Winifred, who urged them both to 'be careful but have fun,' they finally headed out yet again.
"I really like your mom," Sofia told her friend once they had set off into the air. "She has such a good heart and really cares about you."
He smiled and nodded, leaning back against the side of the coach and facing his apprentice in the process. "She cares a lot about you too. She thinks the world of you." He sighed thoughtfully. "I guess it runs in the family."
Sofia blushed modestly. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric."
The sorcerer smirked. "After all, Calista adores you too," he continued, causing her to fold her arms and glare at him, apparently perceiving his continuation as a misunderstanding of his previous words. He grinned as he carried on. "Oh, and Cordelia? She just goes on and on about you all the time. And my father respects you and your morals—"
"What about you, Mr. Cedric?"
"Me?" He shrugged, irritating her further. "You're all right, I guess."
"Mr. Cedric…"
He smiled, finally deciding to ease her worries—or more likely, her exasperation. "Of course I care about you. And I think the world of you, and admire you, and adore you, and…" He trailed off, noting the look of awe on his friend's face.
Sofia smiled playfully once the initial surprise faded. "And…?"
"And, well…"
The playful smile changed to one of compassion. "And you love me, don't you?"
Cedric sighed, folding his arms. "I've got to admit something to you, Sofia." He frowned. "I didn't know what love was until you came into my life."
She gasped softly. "Mr. Cedric…"
"I mean, of course I knew about the familial love, and I cared for my parents, my sister, my niece…" He looked toward her seriously. "But I didn't know anything about unconditional love until I met you. I didn't realize anyone could care so much about someone she'd barely just met, and then forgive him when he tried to do something stupid a few years later…without any second thought. You just…" He sighed, feeling uncomfortable with the current topic as his apprentice watched him quietly. "You gave me a chance… Which led to all of this—this traveling to other kingdoms this summer, not to mention reconciliation with my father and King Roland, and even Cordelia, now that I think about it. All of it was because of you."
She shook her head. "You made the decision to be a better person on your own, Mr. Cedric. I just wanted to help you realize there was a decision."
"And I'll have you know that no one, not one person, stepped in to help me see the error of my ways until you came along. And I'm sure it's not that they didn't care. I just don't think other people are as intuitive as you are." He tapped his fingers against his arms as Sofia listened closely. "You see things others can't. You ask things others don't. You do things others won't. That's why I changed, Sofia. Because you chose to be that person—the one who can make a difference." He reached out and gently patted her hand, causing her to smile, which he returned. "And that's why I can say… Yes, I do love you. Because when you went through all the trouble of putting up with my arrogance, my anger, my irritability, my insecurities, my troubles, and you still continued trying to make my life better… How can I not?"
Sofia smiled happily, a few tears in her eyes and her cheeks tinged pink in contentment, as she reached forward and hugged him. "I love you too, Mr. Cedric. And there's something I want you to know." She sat back, grasping his hands and looking at him sincerely. "No matter what happens—even if people try to tear us apart, or we argue, or something bad happens—it won't change anything. Friendship comes in all shapes and sizes, and I really think ours is something special." She giggled as he gently pressed his forehead to hers. "We're best friends, Mr. Cedric. Nothing can ever come between us."
"I couldn't agree more." He released her hands and looked at her worriedly when she made a soft sound of discomfort. "What is it?"
"N-Nothing…" She sat back on the seat and began caressing her hands.
"Your hands again?" He frowned as she nodded. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, Sofia. I promise you."
"What if I've been cursed?" she asked, a petrified look passing across her features. "My amulet—"
"—Has no reason to curse you," he insisted. "You've done nothing wrong. It could be anything." And that's when he paused, a small jolt of fear shooting through him. What if it was something far more serious than they realized? What if it was…life threatening? He shuddered visibly at the thought of life without the kind-hearted princess, and it nearly brought him to tears, but he managed to stave it off.
"Mr. Cedric, are you okay?"
Even though she was the one in pain, she still made sure he was all right first. What had he done to deserve someone like Sofia in his life? "I'm fine, Sofia." He tugged off his fingerless gloves, forgoing the familiar rough material for the time being, and held out his hands to her, smiling as she hesitantly placed hers in his. "And you will be, too. I promise."
Sofia sighed with an appreciative smile as Cedric gently squeezed her hands. This time, they didn't hurt, which surprised and also intrigued her. Could Cedric hold the key to figuring out what was going on with her? Pushing the thought aside for now, she giggled softly. "Thank you, Mr. Cedric…"
To be continued…
